2022 Hero World Challenge Betting Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions: Can Jon Rahm Win Outright?

This week, while the official PGA Tour season is on break, 20 of the top 50 Official World Golf Ranked players will descend upon the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge at the Albany Golf Club in the resort community Albany.

2022 Hero World Challenge

• Dates: December 1-4, 2022
• Course: Albany, New Providence, BAH
• Purse: $3,500,000
• Defending Champ: Viktor Hovland

The Hero World Challenge is hosted by Tiger Woods and has been played since 2000. The field is one of the smallest played at 20 golfers, but consists of the best of the best with all of the golfers being found in the top 50 Official World Golf Ranked players.

It is a 72-hole, stroke play tournament and with a smaller field, no cuts, meaning everyone is walking away with some cash.

The course is located less than a mile from the beach and gusty winds will likely play a factor this week. There is a chance of rain late Friday but should not play much of a factor otherwise.

What Course is the Hero World Challenge Held at?

The Hero World Challenge will be played at the Albany Golf Club within the luxury resort Albany in the Bahamas. The course was designed and opened in 2010 by the Big Easy, Ernie Els, and is one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.

The course is designed as a links course and consists of five par 5s and five par 3s. It features dunes separating most holes and plenty of water hazards separating the rest. 

The course is par 72, 7,414 yards and will have scoring chances readily available thanks to the abundance of par 5s but it isn’t necessarily the distance that is needed off the tee but accuracy. Iron play will also be a stat to watch with five par 3s on the course.

How to Watch the Hero World Challenge

• Thursday: 1-4:30 p.m. ET Golf Channel
• Friday: 1-4:30 p.m. ET Golf Channel
• Saturday: 12-2:30 p.m. ET Golf Channel; 2:30-5 p.m. ET NBC
• Sunday: 12-1 p.m. ET Golf Channel; 1-5 p.m. ET NBC

How to Listen to the Hero World Challenge

The Hero World Challenge will not be aired on the radio.

Payouts for the 2022 Hero World Challenge

The total purse of the 2022 Hero World Challenge is $3.5 million. This is not a part of the PGA Tour season schedule and will not award any FedEx Cup points to the winner.

Only the prize money and a minimum of 24 Official World Golf Ranking points will be on the line this week — additional Official World Golf Ranking points can be added based on the tournament’s strength of field. 

How Many Golfers are in the 2022 Hero World Challenge?

The tournament field is composed of 20 players, all of which can be found in the top 50 Official World Golf Rankings.

Who has the Best Odds of Winning the 2022 Hero World Challenge?

Current odds on favorites to win the 2022 Hero World Challenge have two top-five OWGR players in Jon Rahm (+500) and Scottie Scheffler (+700), with Tony Finau (+900) rounding out the top three.

Hero World Challenge Past Winner

• 2021 Viktor Hovland (-18)
• 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2019 Henrik Stenson (-18)
• 2018 Jon Rahm (-20)
• 2017 Rickie Fowler (-18)

2022 Hero World Challenge Picks & Predictions

Jon Rahm Tournament Winner | +500 at BetMGM

There is no one in the world playing more consistently and who has a better all-around game right now than Jon Rahm. Rahm has won the last two tournaments he has played in and I expect him to continue his strong form this week.

Viktor Hovland Top 5 Finish | +150 at BetMGM

Viktor Hovland will be defending his title at the Hero World Challenge this year and has the game to back it up. He has two top-10 finishes to his name this season and with the smaller field, he should be able to crack the top 10.

Sepp Straka Top 10 Finish | +188 at BetMGM

Sepp Straka replaces the last-minute dropout, Tiger Woods, and is the longest odds to win this week. Having said that, he only needs to outplay half the field to finish in the top 10. While the field is incredibly talented, anything can happen this weekend.